The 2020 London Toy Fair: The Trendsetters of Joy

Toys have always
held a certain magical aspect to them for both children and adults alike.

There’s nothing
like the glimmer found in a person’s eyes when receiving an entertaining and
fun toy between their hands.

Which is why
London’s Toy Fair 2020 is considered the epitome of magical imaginations and
creativity, and this year it returns again, even bigger and better than before.

The fair, which
goes on from Tuesday 21st of January till Thursday the 23rd,
will be held at the Olympia London in Kensington from 9am till 6pm; The venue
is walking distance away from The Mowbray Court Hotel’s location.

The Toy Fair is
the largest dedicated toy, game and hobby trade exhibition in the UK. Three
packed days of business, with more than 260 exhibiting companies ranging from
the large renowned brands right through to the new start-up companies and
one-man bands.

The Toy Fair is
a showcase, providing visitors with a real overview and insight into a fun,
innovative and exciting industry.

It offers an
unrivalled opportunity to meet the toy industry, network with peers, allowing
attendees to be the first to see the new lines as they are launched for the
year ahead and to plan product range for the next 12 months- a great
opportunity to touch, feel and experiment with the products of the future.

The event is
considered the trend setter for the toys industry.

Almost
everything that holds the same magnitude of this event always has a back story
that makes it the touching and creative event it is today; which is why we, at
The Mowbray Court Hotel, have decided to give you a glimpse into the history of
this joyful event:

1954 - THE
BEGINNING

The first
British Toy and Hobby Fair was organised by Jack Watkins MBE for the British
Toy Manufacturers Association and took place in Brighton from 22nd-26th
February 1954. The fair occupied rooms in the Metropole, Grosvenor, Grand,
Queens, Bedford, Adelphi and Palace Pier hotels as well as in the Corn
Exchange.

In 1954, Sooty
became a Chad Valley hand puppet, and Painting by Numbers, Scrabble and
Matchbox vehicles were big hits at Christmas.

Over the next
two years, the fair moved to Olympia and then to Earls Court at the British
Industries Fair. Celebrity-linked games came to the fore with Stanley Matthews
recommending New Footy Table Soccer.

In 1957, the
decision was taken to move back to Brighton. In 1958, the Hula-Hoop was the toy
of the moment, Plasticine celebrated 50 years and Frisbees took off.

The 60’s –
CONTINUED MOMENTUM

In the 60s the
fair opened its doors to European manufacturers. It was in 1960 that Lego was
seen at the fair for the first time. The retail toy market was worth £85m.
Airfix, Fuzzyfelt and Scalextric all did well in the early sixties.

In 1963 one of
the biggest attractions at the fair was the board game Diplomacy and Matchbox
showed cars with doors that opened.

The mid-Sixties
witnessed the introduction of Corgi classics and Dr. Who and the Daleks and, in
1965, the James Bond Aston Martin Car became the first ever Toy of the Year. In
1966 Action Man caused a sensation as the first doll in the UK for boys and
1967 saw launch of Etch-a-Sketch. Sindy won Toy of the Year in 1968 (and again
in 1970) and Hot Wheels in 1969.

In 1960, the
fair became the British International Toy Fair and expanded into the new
Brighton Conference and Exhibition Centre. Clackers and Space Hoppers were all
the rage. 1973 saw the launch of Mastermind. Children’s pocket money was 9p a
week.

The 70’s –
FROM ONE PLACE TO THE NEXT

In 1974 The
Wombles were everywhere. The mid-Seventies were celebratory times for Meccano
(75 years old), Monopoly (40) and Cluedo (25).

In 1977 the fair
moved to the NEC in Birmingham and the association changed its name to British
Toy & Hobby Association and in 1978 the fair changed its name to British
Toy & Hobby Fair, celebrated its own Jubilee and witnessed the debut of the
Star Wars toys. In 1979 the fair moved to Earls Court.

The 80’s –
KICKING OFF INNOVATION

The Rubik’s Cube
and video games appeared in the 80s and, in 1983, My Little Pony became one of
the most successful girls’ toys ever. The 80s were also the decade of Masters
of the Universe, Trivial Pursuit, the Care Bears, the Cabbage Patch Dolls and
Sylvanian Families.

The 90’s –
CELEBRITY CONTENT

In the 1990s
queues formed at toy shops for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 1992 saw
Thunderbirds’ Tracy Island become the hottest item leading to shortages. The
British International Toy & Hobby Fair celebrated its 40th birthday in
1993. Barbie was 35, Thunderbirds 20, Captain Scarlet 15, Action Man 27 – all
in the top 10 toy list.

In 1994, the
fair was moved to the Grand and National Halls at Olympia and the BTHA
celebrated its 50th Golden Jubilee. POGS was the craze sweeping 1995. Barbie
won Toy of the Year in 1996 and Buzz Lightyear was the most sought after toy.
In 1997 we all wanted Teletubbies and Tamagotchis and Ty’s Beanie Babies
appeared.

The late 90s
were dominated by Furbies and the Yo-Yo made a comeback. In 1999 after
outgrowing Olympia, the momentous decision to move to ExCeL was made.

THE
MILLENNIUM – A NEW DAWN

2001 saw the
first Toy Fair at ExCeL – the first major exhibition to occupy the venue and in
2003, The Toy Fair celebrated its 50th birthday.

To mark the
beginning of a new decade, at the age of 57, the event returned to Olympia’s
Grand Hall in west London. The show took a step into the future with the first
4-D jigsaw and embraced the Go-Go hamster craze.

The Toy Fair
expanded to the gallery level of Olympia in 2011 and the show was subject to
huge media attention featuring on BBC Breakfast, Daybreak, Radio 1, Radio 4,
The Sun, The Telegraph and the Mirror to name but a few.

For the 60th Toy
Fair in 2013 the exhibition expanded into part of the brand new Upper West Hall
at Olympia.

In 2014 the show
expanded further to occupy the entire Upper West Hall.

Since 2015, Toy
Fair has consistently welcomed more than 260 exhibiting companies, occupying
the entire Grand and West Halls, including the upper levels.

THE TOY FAIR
TODAY

The Toy Fair is
the only dedicated toy, game and hobby exhibition in the UK. In 2019 The Toy Fair
welcomed more than 260 exhibiting companies – ranging from the large
internationals to the new startup companies, showcasing thousands of brand new
toys, games and hobbies to the UK’s largest gathering of toy industry
professionals.

The Toy Fair
provides visitors with a real overview and insight into a fun, innovative and
exciting industry, as well as a great opportunity to touch, feel and experiment
with the products of the future. The exhibition is a showcase, a networking
opportunity and an ideal event to do great business in an exciting environment.
We, at The Mowbray Hotel, know what’s
going on, when it’s happening, and where it all happens. We have the latest and
greatest list of things to do in London ready for all our
guests.

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